Hospital brassiere



July 15, 1941.

A. l. LIVINGSTON HosPITALBRAssIRE Fired oct. 25, 193s Patented July 15,1941 UNITED STATES PATENT VOFFICE y HosPrrAL BRASSIRE Aleda L.Livingston, Hollywood,` Calif. vfhplieatimi october 2 5, 193s,lseria1No.23c,924 iolaim. (o1. 2 42) This invention relates to ahospitalbrassire adapted to be Worn by women whoare compelled to lie prone forany length of time as in pre-natal and maternity cases or Whileundergoing or recovering from an operation.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved brassirewhich may be easily and quickly put` on; one which may be readilyadjusted to Vconform to the shape of the individual Wearers bustandwhich sh-all give correct, anatomical support to heavyV and pendulousbreasts of women patients c onned to bed.

Referring tothe accompany drawing which illustrates a preferred.embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 illustrates the manner inwhichthe brassire is secured tothe body of the wearer.

Figure 2 isa front View of the complete article.

Figure 3 is a 'cross section'taken alongxthe line 3 3 of Figure 2. Y

Figure 4 is across section of the shoulder strap taken along line 4-4 ofFigure 2.

Figure 5 is a lcross section taken along line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, I-I indipiece by means of safetypins or other suitable securing means The rear edge of each breastportion is reinforced as at I0 and provided with a plurality of eyeletsIlla. equally spaced along the vertical edge I0 thereof and .adapted toreceive a ribbon or lacing II.

The back member of the brassire is indicated vwith respect to the backof the brassire whereby the brassire may :be quickly and easily ttedCates and includes the complementary breast portions of the brassirewhich in use, form two girdling members 2, 2 substantially surroundingthe body of the wearer beneath the breasts. Each breast portion isprovided, in the upper part thereof, with -a fullness to conform to thecontour of the breasts, as indicated at 3 in Figure 1 and a supportingtabl 4 is secured substantially mid-Way of the width of the breastportion and at the upper edge thereof. As shown in Figure 2, thefullness at the breast portion of the brassire is designed to form a`cup-shaped breast supporting mem-ber; said cup-shaped member comprisingan inner side piece 5, an outer side piece 6 and an intermediate stripmember l extending centrally and vertically of said cup-shapedbreast-supporting member. 'I'he intermediate strip member 'l is formedof a single thickness of fabric, serves to unite the inner side piece 5and the outer side piece 6, is extended beyond the top edge 8 of thecupshaped member, and doubled upon itself with the end 4a thereofsecured to said top edge so as to form thereby a supporting tab ofdouble thickness for supporting the weight of the breast from thewearers shoulder. Each complementary breast portion is provided with asternum piece 9 having a reinforced vertical edge 9a which is adaptedrto be secured to the vertical edge of the adjacent complementarysternum and adjusted to the shape and size of the individual wearersbreasts.

As shown in Figure 3, I3 represents a ap or cover for the lacing andconsists of a narrow piece of relatively unstretohabla fabric, eachvertical edge of which, as indicated at I3a, is sewn to the inside ofthe vertical reinforcedeyelet edge of the breast portion I and of theback member I2 respectively. Said flap thereby joins the back piece andbreast portions inseparably and also limits the separation of therelatively adjustable breast portions and back member to the extent ofits width which may be said to be a measure of the largest size of thebrassire; for smaller sizes the flap readily collapses when the lacingis used to draw the breast portions and back piece together. 'Ihe flapalso serves as a cover for the lacing to prevent frictional contactthereof with the body of the patient, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Integral with the back member are two shoulder strap pieces Ill-I4 whichextend from the t-op and outer edges of the body of the back member.Said shoulder pieces are adapted to extend over the shoulders of thewearer and to be secured by a safety pin I5 or other fastening means tothe shoulder tabs 4 on the cup-shaped breast supporting members. 'I'heshoulder straps, when used, are taken up quite tightly as this is themeans of supporting the breasts from the side.

As shown in the drawing, the back member and the two breast portions arereinforced with a suitable tape or hemming I6 secured to both the topand bottom edges thereof, said tapes performing an important part ingiving correct anatomical support to heavy and pendulous breasts ofwomen patients conned to bed.

Turning now to the specific means for supporting and covering thebreasts, the two sections 5 and 6 of the breast covering web areconnected by the strap or intermediate member 1 and each seam 'lajoining said intermediate member with the respective inner and outerside pieces or sections 5 and 6 extends vertically and centrally of saidcup-shaped member 3 and is covered by a tape I6 secured on the outsideof said cup-shaped member. However, this intermediate member 1 and thereinforcing tapes do not take any strain but are merely used to connectthe two sections 5 and 6 together. This means that no matter how muchstrain is exerted on the shoulder strap I4, there will be practically nopressure exerted on the bust or nipple. This freedom from strain orpressure, at the nipple, is accomplished by sewing a catenary-shapedsupporting tape or binding I6 along the seam I6a joining the bodygirdling member 2 of the breast portion and the cup-shaped breastsupporting member 3, and, as shown in Figure 2, the upwardly extendingends IBD-ISU of said 'binding are joined at substantially right anglesto the down-turned ends IGC- |60 of the arcuate upper binding 8. Asindicated at l'i-IT, the sections of the breast covering web immediatelyadjacent and Within the right angles formed by the intersection of saidbindings are cut on the square, ythat is tof say, the fabric is 4not onthe bias but it is square with reference to the two intersecting tapes 8and I6 so that-one course of threads of each section of the breastcovering web is substantially at right angles to one 0f the bindings.The effect of this arrangement of Athe bindings with respect to ltheweave of the breast covering web is such that the strain in the lowercatenary shaped binding I6, due to the weight of the breasts, is alltaken in the upper arcuate binding 8 and in the sections II-l'l of thebreast covering web cut on the square immediately adjacent and withinthe right angle formed bythe intersection of the bindings.

In this manner, the breast is supported around the edges where thenatural gravity spreading action caused by the patient lying on her backoccurs. With the use of this method of suspension, the patients breastis re-shaped or held in position while she is on her back just as if shewere standing up.

The brassire is applied by stretching it out on a bed or stretcher andthen laying the patient on top of it. Next the sternum sec-tions 9-9 ofthe breast portions are folded over and pinned with safety pins at thepoints marked at, a: on the reinforced vertical edges 9 uf-9a. Theamount of overlap of the sternum sections, and

. vthe position of the two laces in the side is then sufficient *oadjust the brassire tightly to the particular patient. The shoulderstraps H-H are then pulled down over the patients shoulders and pinnedto the shoulder tabs 4-4. The shoulder straps are taken up quite tightlyas this is the means of supporting the breasts fromthe side wherebysagging of pendulous or heavy breasts is prevented.

Such changes as are within the skill of 'the fabricators can, of course,be made without departing from the invention as herein disclosed.

I claim:

A hospital brassire comprising a back portion and a pair of vfrontportions connected to the back portion by lacings so that the brassireis adjustable as to girth, .the front portions having reinforced butpliabler free margins free of attached fastening means and adapted to beadjustably lapped in front and pinned together by safety pins, each ofsaid front portions including a pocket and an upwardly extending tab,and shoulder straps extending `upwardly from said back portion, the freeends of said straps being adjustably disposable in lapped relation tosaid tabs at the front of the garment to be pinned to the tabs by safetypins.

ALEDA L. LIVINGSTON.

